Tom Holland burst onto the Hollywood scene when undertook the role of Peter Parker for the latest Spider-Man reboot, with a boyish charm that left the industry fascinated. He has also worked alongside The Russo Brothers in this role previously, appearing in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. However, it does not appear as though The Russo Brothers hope to build upon that boyish charm in their next film Cherry, which they have enlisted Holland to be the star of. Instead of starring as a young, up and coming superhero like he did as Spider-Man, Holland will be playing a veteran of war suffering from an intense bout of PTSD, a far cry from the web-slinging icon.
This is a change of pace for Holland to say the least. Stills from the film show he has shaved his head, abandoning his typical well kept hairstyle for a buzzcut to better assimilate into the role. Similarly, The Russo Brothers have typically thrived within the genres of comedy and superhero action, producing television hits like Arrested Development and the aforementioned Avengers films, among others, making this a step in a new direction for themselves as well. The Russo Brothers and Holland appear to have enough faith in each other to take the risk however, with Cherry highlighting the struggles many veterans face following war such as drug addiction, financial hardship and mental illness.
Though it may be difficult to imagine Holland in such a role, The Russo Brothers have nothing but high praise for the young star. At a CCXP event this past weekend, Joe Russo highlighted just how well Holland has adapted to such a uniquely different role than he is accustomed to, saying “I just have to say Holland’s performance in the film is exceptional. He absolutely shreds himself in the movie.” Unless he wanted to be Spider-Man forever, it is only right for Holland to venture out of his comfort zone, and it would appear he made the right choice. Fans will know for sure next March when Cherry hits Apple TV+.
